We all know LinkedIn is a top platform used by recruiters and hiring managers to find their next hires. They are constantly scouring this valuable resource searching to find the ideal candidate to fit the opportunity they have available. Whether you’re currently on the job hunt or you are employed and starting to covertly look for a new one, LinkedIn is a valuable resource for you.
When your LinkedIn profile is optimized in the right way, your name will show up in the searches more often than not. However, simply having a profile isn’t good enough nowadays, so you may want to consider working with a professional LinkedIn profile writer who can help take yours to the next level. Whether you hire a professional or not, here are things to consider when crafting your profile.
Fully Complete Your Profile
While you are uploading information into your LinkedIn profile, look at the status bar on the right hand side of the page telling you how complete your profile is. Follow the basic steps to make your profile 100% complete. The reason is because completed profiles are more visible in searches and will be more attractive to recruiters. Sometimes you might only get to 85% or 95%. Don’t sweat it if that is where you are at. Often times, LinkedIn wants you to include things that just don’t make sense to add (in my case… early experience that was basically waitressing while in college).
Think Like a Recruiter (What Do They Search For?)
When the basics of your LinkedIn profile are complete, take it to the next level. You need to start thinking about industry terms and keywords. Using keywords and buzzwords relevant to your job or industry throughout your profile will make your profile show up more often in searches. One secret I’ve learned from recruiters is they often don’t search for job titles, since titles can vary among different companies. Instead, recruiters search for specific skills and expertise, so those are more important than trying to match a title to what you think a recruiter wants to see. While you want to make sure all of your skills are displayed, you also want to make sure the text in your profile flows naturally.
Enhance Your LinkedIn Profile
LinkedIn may show that you have reached All Star status and your profile is complete, but your work isn’t done. You need to continually look for ways in which to develop and enhance it. One way is to be active on your profile at least weekly or more often if you’re in the middle of a job search. This doesn’t mean you have to do a complete overhaul, but it could simply mean joining a new relevant group and making new connections in the group. You can also make comments on your connection’s posts. There are many ways to optimize your LinkedIn profile, and all of them are important for attracting the attention of recruiters. Make sure that even if you become employed, you stay active on LinkedIn meaning commenting or posting. You don’t want to neglect your network, you want to nurture it.
Your executive resume is a critical part of your job search, but LinkedIn is quickly becoming equally important. With the competition for high-level jobs being at an all-time high, attracting recruiters is more critical now than ever before. It’s not enough to have a LinkedIn profile. It needs to be complete, in a manner that will capture the attention of the recruiters and hiring managers who use it daily to find their ideal candidates.
